And so it ends…

I delivered the finished draft of Tower Lord to my editor yesterday. The final word count, including appendices, came in at a little over 238,000. If you’ve read my previous updates you’ll know I was expecting rewrites to take me up to December but the fact is I simply couldn’t find anything else I wanted to change. I have to stress this doesn’t mean the book is finished, there will inevitably be notes from my editor, probably some future rewrites, plus copy edits, proofs etc, but for now at least, I’m done.

As ever, I have no idea when it will actually come out, since the publisher’s version of Blood Song isn’t likely to appear until next year. But at least those looking forward to the next instalment will have the comfort of knowing there won’t be a decades long wait for it. As for the third book though…

I´ve just finished `Blood Song`on my Kindle and so came across your blog. I loved the book greatly even though I´m not that fond of overlong battlescenes (being a women ;o)) The charcter descriptions and the political sceeming were much more my cup of tea! I´m looking forward so much to the follow-up! I´m really excitedto know that it´s already at your editor and I hope to be able to read ir real soon!

Looking forward to it provided that the publisher doesn’t overprice the ebook edition. If they price it at $9.99 for a book which costs them nothing in printing costs and fractions of pennies in delivery costs via the Internet, then we’ll know that they’re just interested in gouging the ebook reading audience. As much as I’d like to read it, I won’t buy the book at that price.

Just ran into this with another indie author and I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to continue reading his series. I mention it here in hopes that Tower Lord will be reasonably priced as an ebook.

First, he isn’t an indie author anymore. Second, the cost per book to print, bind, and ship are minimal compared to the overall price of the book. What you are paying for is the authors time, the editors time, reviewers, artisits, etc. Paying $10 for a book you will spend hours enjoying certainly isn’t a ripoff.

I finished Blood Song today… Wow! You are a gifted writer. There is so much life and depth to your characters, and the action is among the best I’ve read. Your series is on my watch list and can’t wait for Tower Lord!

Congratulations on the second book. I’m savoring #1 because I don’t want it to end, esp. knowing that the next one is so far away… I’m a writer too so I know you gotta make a living, and congratulations on your book deal. I just wish publishers “got it” and didn’t think they had to sit on a second volume for a year after the first one is published, as if none of us would ever buy a book by the same author in any shorter time period. Other than some of the ways you use commas rather than semicolons or multiple sentences, the copy is so clean and the story so tight that I can’t see them justifying any huge amount of time spent on editing #1. So the way I see it, #1 could be in the stores by spring 2013, and if your copy is as clean for #2, that one could be in the stores by fall…I wish! So I’m happy for you that you’re getting paid, and sad for me because I know #2 is DONE and I still have to wait two freakin’ years to read it 🙂

Amazon is saying that Book 1 will be released in July, 2013. My experience with publishers (just as a reader, no inside knowledge) is that they like the hardcover to sit out for a year before (1) they release it in paperback, and (2) they release Book 2.

Eagerly awaiting for the next part of the story.
After a lot of disappointments in the last 2 years it was this book that made me once more lose sleep.
As more people have said before this comment….hope you can quit the day job.
Will be recommending to anyone/everyone i know.

A bit disappointing to hear that from purely marketing considerations we won’t see thet next book in at least a year if not more (assuming they would want to put a year between them). However, I remain confident in you ability to write fast and write well, unlike some other notorious authors,

That said, I think I’ll restrain my recommendations to friends and family at least until we’ll have a clear time table from you to finishing the entire trilogy, just to be on the safe side.

Just wanted to say that I am very much looking forward to the second novel.

I picked up the first novel while browsing Amazon because I saw how many good review it had. I wasn’t expecting much as you were an unknown to me and I’d not heard of the book. I’m very glad I bought it. It’s probably my favourite fantasy book I’ve read this year.

Having 4 kids, I’m falling a little behind on my fantasy reading…so I save my time to read for only the worthwhile. I bought your book after reading reviews on Kindle – you came highly recommended! I was hooked from beginning to end. I also discovered Brent Weeks’ trilogy only this year (see?…very behind) and I must admit, where character development and battle/fight scenes are concerned, you were so on par. Cannot imagine what the heck is going on in your mind. Really really frustrated to hear that though the next book is just about done we will still have to wait 1/10 of a decade before getting to read it…could someone explain the meaning of “not letting the grass grow under your feet” to your marketing department please?

Just got done re-reading the book for the umpteenth time. Cannot wait until Tower Lord comes out. I, on the otherhand, would pay lots to read this book! Goodluck and keep the amazing writing coming! Hopefully sooner than later!

It’s great to find a new author to read; especially in this genre that is still hooked on Jordan and Martin. I think your writing rivals theirs and I really look forward to the next book. Like many others I was just browsing for something new to read and I ran across Blood Song and couldn’t put it down. I will certainly recommend to everyone I know that reads this genre.

One of – if not THE – best alternate world novel I’ve read in my 70+ years. Excellent characters who appear humanly fantastic in an epic adventure that kept me away from too many this-world tasks for several days. Kudos galore! I picked “Blood Song” to try out the android version of Kindle on a chance because I read a lot of fanasy/SF and the intro price was a bargain. I expect I’ll buy “Tower Lord” when released at whatever ebook price – as long as old age doesn’t preclude capability 🙂

I’m just wondering if you plan on making a long drawn out series, or a really great epic trilogy? I’m sure if it does become a series, you are gifted enough to make it last and stay interesting, but I’m hoping you release a trilogy that gives closure to a really great story.

Hi Archie,
It’s most definitely a trilogy. I may revisit this particular world in a few years (or, more likely, decades), but I’ll be saying goodbye to Vaelin and co at the end of the third book.
Thanks for the kind words.

In a way it’s sad that there is such a long delay and fuss with this publishing process from self-published to Penguin but I guess “published” brings more cash to Anthony and he definitely deserves it for a book as good as “Blood Song”.

I’m just hoping that Tower Lord is as good and as “chunky” as Blood Song because now I have high expectations and am really eager for Book 2…..

Pricing doesn’t really matter anymore thanks to e-book editions because even with 100-120 books purchased in a year you’re not spending more than $1000 on book a year which comes down to about 15-16 New game titles.

You have some amazing reviews from many different corners of the web, so I have grown intrigued. I am especially happy that the second book is already basically done, as I prefer reading trilogies that are already finished. So I’m kind of wondering how seriously we should take the final sentence of this post… decades…? Years…? (For Book Three, I mean.) Do you have a deadline in mind?
I really wish I could read the book but don’t have an e-book reader. So, until July, then.

Hi Anthony just finished your book for the second time, it is one of the best novels I have ever read. Please can you give me an idea of when book number 2 Tower Lord will be available for download as I am dying to find out what comes next.

Hi Tanus,
I can’t claim to be a marketing expert. I know the publishing industry is in a (probably permanent) state of flux and some are experimenting with releasing all books in a series at once. However, I’m obliged (and contracted) to trust the decisions of my publisher who have been doing this a lot longer than I have.

Just wanted to say I discovered this and was spell-bound ! After reading ‘that other trilogy’ from brent weeks , I was looking for another to completely enthrall me , and am glad to say I’ve found it , the universe is awesome and the characters draw you in that it feels like you are one of them – a brother 🙂

Looking forward to the 2nd book – in the mean time will tell everyone about this book !

So far, so good. Blood Song is one of those books that, while not ground breaking, is instantly absorbing. I’m on page 170 right now, and it’s beginning to interfere with work. Haha. Hope to see the next in the series soon and glad you stuck it out to self-publish.

On that note, and perhaps this is too much to actually reply to, what’s the process of self-publishing? Is it difficult? At some point, I will finish my own novel and if the Publishing Gods (Houses) find it wanting, I will still want to schlep it to the masses.

Thanks for the kind words. As far as the mechanics of self-publishing goes I’d recommend reading the Smashwords Style Guide and Smaswords Marketing Guide (available for free on Smashwords.com). Also you should check out the following blogs by authors who’ve been at it longer than I have, with more success:
Joe Konrath – http://jakonrath.blogspot.co.uk/
Kristine Kathryn Rusch – http://kriswrites.com/
Generally speaking, most advice on the subject boils down to three points:
1. Write a good book.
2. Pay someone to proof-read / edit it.
3. Pay for a professional cover (I use James at http://www.goonwrite.com).

Excellent. I have a co-worker who is self-publishing as well, so I will pick his brain, too. I have found that professional covers are a must. They are, honestly, the reasons I picked up books by authors like Brent Weeks and Glen Cook. Thanks for the advice.